E I I I - Wayne State University

E I I I

V olum e 9 N um ber 2 S u m m er 1990

D avid Barr and Instrum ent of Location for 4 Corners, plastic and mylar, 1987

CRISIS POINTM oney, M oney, M oney ...F i­

nan c ia l d ifficu lty is a fam ilia r top ic to m ost a r tis ts . W hen th e b an k acco u n t reads ze ro , w e sc ram b le . T h is fran tic econom ic dan ce is p a r t o f o u r w ell h o n ed su rv iv a l in s tin c t. C u rren tly , th e D etro it Focus G allery is sc ram b l­ing. T he financia l s ta tu s o f th e gallery a t th is m o m en t is b leak. It is past th e “ ru n n in g o n a sh o e s tr in g ” stage. D etro it Focus G allery is a t a f inancia l Crisis Point.

In an effort to save th e gallery, a fu n d ra ise r has been schedu led . T he details o f th e ev en t are listed o n th e back page o f th is issue. P lease read th e “ In F o cu s” page a n d urge people to a ttend th is im ­p o r ta n t “ gallery sa v in g ” ev en t.

O bviously, if th e gallery closes it w ill affect th e lives o f m any a r tis ts . In fact, it w ill affect th e e n tire a r t com m u n ity . T he few a r t galleries in D etro it a re linked to g e th e r in a co m m onality : su p ­po rt fo r fine a r ts in D etro it. W ith th e d em ise o f any gallery , th is w all o f su p p o rt is se riously w eak e n ed .

A n o th e r possib le casualty o f th e D etro it Focus G allery fin an ­cial c ru n c h is th e possib le loss o f th e D etro it F ocus Q u arte rly . T he Q u arte rly is p lan n in g its o w n fu n d ra ise r sch ed u led in A ugust. T he de ta ils o f th e fu n d ra is in g p a r ty , “ B rew H a-H a,” w ill be fo rth co m in g .

As I w rite th e se w o rd s, I am w ondering w ith great concern — Will this be the last issue of the Quarterly? We n eed yo u r h e lp to p re v e n t th is from happ en in g .

S heree RenselEditor

An O pen L ette rT o T he A rtists o f G reater D etro it,

I t ’s tim e to stop foo ling o u rse lves . N obody is going to play su g a r daddy to a sp irin g a r tis ts . U nless i t ’s a t an e v e n ­tua l g rea t co s t a t o u r b ehalf . T he N ational E n d o w m en t for th e Arts and p r iv a te en te rp ris e s h av e a lw ays tu rn e d in to fickle p im ps o n ce th e going gets tough . Recent ev en ts regard ing cen so r­sh ip h av e p ro v en th is . W hile i t ’s im ­p o r ta n t to do w h a t w e can financia lly to suppo rt places like D etroit Focus, The A rtists M arket an d M ichigan Gallery, these places are also at the m ercy o f the g o v e rn m en t an d o th e r r ich g roups, u n less I am m istaken .

S o ... m aybe i t ’s tim e to ap p ro ach w h a t w e do a little b it d ifferen tly . Show ing a r t in an enclo sed space, stag­ing a p erfo rm an ce (d an ce , m usic , e tc .) is n ’t rea lly all th a t costly . A rtists w ith room y stud ios o r loft type spaces, m usi­cians w ith reh earsa l space, dance com ­pan ies , inv ite y o u r a r tis t f rien d s over. Hang o r d isplay o r pe rfo rm y o u r w ork . Buy som e cheap w in e , pass th e h at, m ake som e calls. Inv ite som e asp iring local w rite rs from sm aller pub lica tions, (c ’m on M etro T im es, an d a r t ca len d a r ju s t a r e n ’t e n o u g h ). And so o n and so o n .. .

In the past 10 years, w e have already lost th e C.A .I.D . (C o n tem p o rary Art In stitu te o f D etro it) an d th e an n u a l sta tew ide exh ib itions. Losing th e above m en tio n ed galleries loom s as a real possib ility . T h ere a re som e so lu tions . P articu la rly if th e general m indse t o f th is a rea is changed back to w h y w e do th is in th e v ery first p lace; an d th a t ’s b ecause w e like to ...rem em b er? !

M ichael “ M ickey” V idakovich

E d i to r ’s N o te : T he C o n tem porary Art In s titu te o f D etro it is still ac tive an d p lann ing a fundraising ev en t for the fall titled , With No Content Restrictions.

D ear Ms. Rensel:I am im pelled by y o u r “ op en le tte r

to th e a r t c o m m u n ity ” (D etro it Focus Q u arte rly ; Spring 1990) to rem in d m y se lf th a t it m ay be il l-co n s id ered to d ep lo re a lack o f “ in v o lv e m e n t” by a r t is ts in o rg a n iz e d fu n c tio n s o r dem o n s tra tio n s o r o rgan ized an y th ing . It is a tim e -h o n o re d p riv ilege o f a ded ica ted a r tis t to be se p a ra te from the c ro w d . T he o rg an iza tiona lly -su ited a r t­ist is u n u su a l a n d m ay even be suspect. Not all w h o pub licly “ a c t” like a r tis ts a re artists; th e o p p osite m ay be tru e . To o rgan ize th e pub lic in b eh a lf o f a r t o r a r tis ts’ rights m ay be a w o rth y en te r­p rise . To req u ire th e a r tis t to do a n y th in g besides h is /h e r a r t an d w h a t p e rh ap s m u st be do n e to m ake a living, is an im probab le quest. Most au th e n tic a r tis ts h av e tim e fo r, an d in te re s t in , little else.

S incerely ,A rno ld Klein

D ear Mr. Klein,It w o u ld be w o n d e rfu l if in an ideal

w o rld a r tis ts cou ld re tire from society an d feroc iously c rea te . A nd in th is w orld , each artis t w ou ld have a gallery o r dea le r to help d evelop an aud ien ce for th a t w ork an d keep th e m oney flow ­ing. H ow ever, th is is no t an ideal w orld . A rtists c a n n o t affo rd to be locked b e h in d stu d io do o rs. G alleries are scarce; th e re fo re , th e re is a n eed for a lte rn a tiv e spaces. T hese spaces need to be p o w ered by peo p le , n am ely a r t­ists, w h o w ill w o rk to sup p o rt these in ­s titu tio n s . If all a r tis ts w e re c o n ce rn ed on ly w ith m ak ing a r t , th e v en u es for sh o w in g w o rk w ou ld be a lm ost n o n ex ­is ten t. L ikew ise, a r tis ts a re need ed to educa te in o rd e r to (as you sta te ) “ organize the public in behalf o f art and a r t is ts ” . A lso, w ith th re a ts o f in c re a s­ing g overnm en ta l p re ssu re , it is v ital at th is tim e fo r in te rac tio n , an d fo r artists to b ecom e in v o lv ed in decis ion m aking p rocesses .

F inally , I am a w a re o f m an y “ a u th e n tic ” a rtists w h o give th e ir tim e an d en e rg y to su p p o r t th e a r t com ­m u n ity an d still h av e tim e to m ake “ a u th e n tic ” w o rk . I am ask ing a rtists to p a r tic ip a te in th e ir des tin y fo r th e good o f th e ir lives as artis ts .

— Editor

D e tro i t F o cu s Q u a r te r lyA Visual Arts Publication

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D e tro i t Focus743 Beaubien D etroit, MI 48226 (313)962-9025 W ed.-Sat. 12-6

• D e t r o i t F ocus Q u a r e r l y is p u b lish ed fo u r tim es per y ear (M arch, Ju n e , O ctober, and Decem­b e r) by D e t r o i t F o c u s , 743 B eaubien, D etro it, M ichigan 482 2 6 . Copyright © 1990 by D e tro it F ocus. C on ten ts in w h o le o r p a r t m ay n o t be rep roduced w i th o u t w r i t te n p e rm is s io n . T he o p in io n s ex p re s sed a re th o se o f the w rite rs an d n o t necessarily those o f the ga lle ry . A ddress a ll co rre sp o n d e n c e to D e t r o i t F o c u s Q u a r t e r ly , c /o D etroit F ocus G allery , 743 B eaubien (th ird f lo o r), D e tro it, Ml 4 8 2 2 6 . M anuscripts m u s t be ty p e d d o u b le sp aced , and ac­com panied by a stam ped, self-addressed env e lo p e . Ad salespeople receive 20 % co m m issio n .

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Penelope’s Work

The woods at night...is in i t s w ay a parad igm

for artists working today.

Heidelberg Street: Night View,Tyree G uyton’s H eide lberg S tree t In s ta lla tio n , 1990

The traditional folk singers and artists of Andalusia had a name for it: duende Early this century the poet Fedrico Garcia Lorca discovered it for us in the songs and folk plays of Spanish and Gypsy singers and players. D uende, like “ deep song,” the an­cient Gypsy chanted poetry still found in Andalusia w hich Lorca studied during his short life, is an ineffable energy or presence in the creative act, the mark of authenticity , the self submerged in the long history of the traditional com m unity and landscape, and yet simultaneously apart, obsessed with self-discovery in order to bring som ething — a song, a gesture, an object, duend e — from the loneliness of the self.

Because it is spring, 1 have been in the woods and m arshes and am thinking about the dark, obsession, and being lost. A few days ago, as we made our way out of the derelict gravel pit overgrow n with sumac and Russian thistle and walked betw een two shallow ponds into the beech-m aple grove, it was suddenly dark. We had been sitting on a high ridge overlooking the marsh, straining and squinting into the dusk sky trying to watch male woodcocks plummeting tow ard the ground in their mating flight.And then , walking into the deep woods, it was fully dark and we had another half-hour walk to the car. I knew the woods well, but the others with me, my wife and six year-old daughter and two of our friends, had no idea how to get back to the car.There was suddenly a sense of excitement and dread in our group, as if a sixth body had slipped, unseen, onto the trail and joined us. My daughter put her hand in mine and tightly squeezed; our friends made nervous, terse rem arks about how long it had been since they had been in the woods at night; from the trees all around us the spring peepers shrilled in our ears w ith an eerie, brilliant, harsh intensity, like m iniature sirens wailing from an invisible city.

A few moments later 1 sw itched on the powerful flashlight which I had been carrying in my pocket. It was one of those halogen lights the size of a bloated pencil and no one knew that I had it. And as soon as I tu rned it on everyone laughed and exclaimed, letting loose the tension which had visited us.

The woods at night, w ith that mix of familiarity and strangeness which the dark brings, is in its way a paradigm for artists working today. Our history is clotted w ith the various

m etaphors for the “ artist in the dark” ; the rom antic notion that artists w ork in the m urky depths of the imagination and un­conscious, bringing into the light w orks for the comm unity; the crass notion that artists are superior craftspeople w ho make rare objects for the few institutions and individuals who can afford them ; the idealistic, even religious notion that the artist is a sham an, a healer w ho generously shares a magic for those who care to accept the blessing. The darkness of the imagination, the darkness of the workplace, the darkness of the spirit. We have built a complex mythology on this image: the artist as other, out­side — or at the least beside — society. It is not that the m etaphors are wrong, or even overly simple, but that they are fluid, mercurial, m etamorphosing throughout history as we shape them to fit our changing perceptions of self, w ork, and society.

Contained in the images of the artist as the “ w orker in thedark” is the sense of the worker lost and finding a way out. Busonwrote: _. . . . ,,

Digging in the field —the m an who asked the way

has disappeared.

In Hom er’s O dyssey, we are led through the dram atic and complex story of the hero Odysseus’ ten -y ear journey home from the Trojan War. It is fundam entally Odysseus’ story Homer tells us, and it has come to be our ow n story as well, a tale of hum an fraility, of wandering in search of the self, o f strategy and military force, of heroism in the face of unfair natural and supernatural interference. But in the context of our time, a smaller story in the O dyssey interests me more, the story of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, who sat at hom e those ten years fending off the mob of suitors who had come to claim their custom ary right to compete for her as a wife. In the rigid laws and customs of ancient Greece, no kingless Queen could rule a city-state; a w idowed Penelope was required to choose a new husband from among Ithaca’s single noblemen. To circumvent this deeply-rooted tradition, a tradition which threatened her very existence, Penelope put off the suitors by claiming her right to weave her father’s shroud: another law in ancient Greece, the daughter’s duty to the father. Penelope believed that Odysseus would return, and so formed her life into a single creative act of deception

3

Lucy

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For those ten years that Odysseus w andered, Penelope sat alone at her loom each day weaving the shroud, and each night stripping the loom o f that day’s work.

Odysseus’ story is told by Homer across the distance of epic time, and so is a story a b o u t distance, a story of the individual crushed and then re-form ed by the weight of ignorance we call ego, by the weight of history, and by the weight of belief and hope for divine delivery. In sharp contrast, Penelope’s story is intim ate — and intimately told by asides throughout the nar­rative — a story of one individual’s personal work, a work which grows out of a deep understanding of the boundaries of society, and the necessities for individual survival by m anipulating and challenging those boundaries. In o ther w ords, Penelope’s art, in this case her life, is simultaneously public and personal. Patience is Penelope’s instruction for us, an exquisite and subtle cunning, a cunning far m ore instructive than Odysseus’ dependence on supernatural intervention and military posturing.

In our time — a confused and disoriented and deliriously hopeful time — our m etaphor for the artist is just as confused and hopeful, an amalgam of all the past m etaphors. “ We are orphans of ideologies,” Charles Simic said in the early 1970’s while listening to the daily body count from Vietnam on the late news. He was sitting in the dark in his underw ear drinking a beer and somehow it all helped him understand that for us history is m onstrous. He said, “ The poet (artist) like anyone else is part of history, but he or she ought to be the conscious part. That’s the ideal.” And consciousness is the action which arises from the willingness to be lost, to disappear and reappear in a new place, the willingness to seek a kind of patience shaped by self- discovery. That is the d u en d e , the deep song in Penelope’s work.

All artists know that some deception is necessary for making art. The imaginative life is no longer honored by our culture, if indeed it ever was in any industrial society. So artists must of necessity practice some kind of sleight-of-hand as they wander lost in the dark. And it is just this deception which requires patience, the patience to go crashing off the marked trail, to w res­tle w ith craft and materials, to suffer through the instant analysis of journalists and critics, the patience to examine the self in a culture which denigrates and trivializes self-doubt.

One can attend dozens of museum and gallery openings, listen to cu rato rs’ and educators’ lectures on art and artists, watch the a rtists’ video tapes which are now an expected part of so many exhibitions, visit studios and see the newest w ork, “ w ithout en­countering any significant aspect of our common twentieth-century ex istence,” Simic said tw enty years ago. Said another way, one can look at hundreds of pictures, at sculpture and installations, at dances and plays, and have no sense that the artist has been willingly lost, has been in the dark and found his or her way out, that the artist has found d u e n d e . It is not news that solip­sism inhabits the vast majority of art of our time. It may be news of the w orst sort that the m etaphor that most marks our time is that of the artist as m anipulator of the m arket economy, as victorious survivor of the perils of m arketing and self-promotion. Our m etaphor is the supercilious antics and consumerism of Andy W arhol not, to compare the artist of W arhol’s generation who fundamentally represents the alternative, the trickster playfulness of Joseph Beuys. And as a culture, we are the poorer for it.

Any meaningful art, w hether the earliest cave drawings, the first fetishes and sculpture, the canvases of Caravaggio, Frida Kahlo’s brutally intimate paintings, the sculpture and performances of Beuys — and to choose one Detroit artist from those who work in the tradition of Penelope — Tyree Guyton’s “ Heidelberg Proj­ect,” this art of d uende , of deep song, comes from the transmuta­tion of both personal and public material, from lament as well as celebration. Neither a singular, militant, purely political art, nor a precious, rarefied personal art, will ever, somehow, seem complete.

B en M itc h e l l is C u ra to r o f C o llections & E xhib ition a t th e A rt C en te r o f B attle C reek a n d th e E d ito r o f P assages N orth .

“Art For the Global Village”David Barr geo-structurist

Swords Into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery has re­cently exhibited the cum ulative w o rk of David B arr’s w orld art projects, A rt For the Global Village. This is the first time the three projects have been show n together at one site. In listening to him speak of his w ork, looking at his w ork, and view ing videos of his projects, I am deeply im pressed w ith the “ hum anitarian a r t” label his a rt has earned . In delving into a project, the con­cept is the keynote of his ambition. However, the follow-through is w hat the w ork actually becomes. Many artists in the late six­ties and early seventies w ere content w ith thinking " w hat if ...” , docum enting the thought by w riting or printing imagery, m an y times of earth structures, then proceeding to another c o n cept, m any times not doin g the physical piece. Many o f th ose who became involved w ith the earth really w e re formalizing an aw areness from th e ecology protests of the mid and late sixties.By using d irt and m aterials f rom it, the fragility of our planetwas projected.

B arr’s work is fascinating. H is descriptions o f what he ex­pects from his initial concept to finished a r t piece are well presented. He w ants to be called a geo-structurist. Barr reaches the essence of what he can do by reaching people w ho accept the w ork as a new beginning. All too often w e, the art public, become mired in content and imagery that i s so involved th a t the general public can no longer approach it . Barr seeks a m o rediverse audience than just a people educated in art.

FOUR CORNERS PROJECT

David B arr’s art speaks to many levels of perception . His workdoes require some concentration to gain the full im pact of w hat he is attem pting to do. However, w hen the available inform a­tion is studied, understanding follows. Barr worke d on the first m ajor earth-as-planet pi ece from 1 9 7 6 to 198 5 . In this “ Four Corners Project” he utilized a tetrahedron, the fewest sided dimen­sional form, and a sphere, the m o s t sided dimensional form. The resulting image has four location marks surfacing at special pointson the earth , show n at the gallery as a transparent globe, with a welded metal rod tetrahedron inside. Accompanying the sculpture-in-globe are four prints show ing the locations of the longitude and latitude co-ordinates of the emerging points.Using colors indigenous to the atm osphere at each site, Barr has projected a beautiful suite o f prints to further docum ent this pat­tern. Each earth protrusion i s m arked at a specific co-ordinate showing a “ corner” of the tetrahedron: Eas ter Island is at 27°6 ' 20" S, 109° 2 5 ' 3 0 " W w ith a n overall color of royal blue, suggesting the essence of the Pacific Island location, and to honor its mysterious sculpture; Reivilo, South Africa is at 27° 3 0 ' 36"S, 24° 6 ' E with a warm sienna tone related to the country and its people; Greenland is at 72° 3 8 '2 4 " N, 55 ' 12" W blanketed w ith a cold, ice blue; Irian New Guinea’s location at 2° 6 ' 36"S, 137° 2 3 ' 24" E uses an intense turquoise to show its tropical site relationship.

There are two other marks on the prints. Machu Picchu, Peru is the first location w here the sculpted corners w ere brought, encased in a beautifully handm ade box, and set on the ancient sundial for a blessing from those who have honored the earth.Barr states it best: “ It is a ‘gate’ in that it represents the purity and precision of art/science forms with invested m eaning akin

David Barr and Sunsweep, a test fragment, granite with laser, 1985

to that also generated by the societies at the four corners sites . The gate ex it is in the Z en garden o f Ryoan-ji in Kyoto (Japan).It has resisted the d evouring fren zies o f th e tw en tieth century and represents the serenely contem plative. The garden is designed so that the placem ent o f the rocks can never be altogether observed from o n e poin t o f v iew . This structural attribute, like that o f the

F our Co rn ers Project, is in ten ded to instill h u m ility .”

Barr, in projecting th is idea upon the v iew e r, has establish ­ed the next level o f con tex t w ith in his w ork. By actually travel­ing t o the site s an d im planting the "corners" at the co-ordinates, he h a s t ran s cen d ed the usual finale o f m ost conceptual art. E stablish ing a w ritten dialogue w itn the o w n er s o f the proper­ties , th e g o v ernm ents and the com m unities in v o lv e d , h e has im plem ented his con cept beyon d w h at m ost w ou ld attem pt or afford. Unlike Christo, w h o solicits m on ies and helpers to o v er­com e bureaucratic tw ists and t urns, Barr approaches th ese efforts as a personal m ission . Being a single en tity , rather than an art bureaucrat w izard. Barr’s art-m issionary style exc ites ad­miration. Although C h r isto and Judy Chicago are well docum ented in the h istory books, their u se o f cou n tless others for self- aggrandizem ent is less than admirable.

Barr approaches his art w ith hum ility . To solicit peop le w ho are unfam iliar w ith m odern art th inking, and enable them to em brace his concept and help establish the structure o f the w ork, as gate-keepers and guardians, sh o w s h o w w e ll co n ce iv ed and

sim ple the w ork i s .The original m aterial w as a p iece o f w h ite Verm ont marble

left over from the City-County building in D etroit. After rem ov­ing the corners from the original chunk the rem aining shape w as an octahedron or double pyram id. F ollow ing th e global p lace­m ent o f th e four corners, th is core has been left in the case as a kind o f relic. Barr has stated interesting juxtapositions in rela­tion to the “ Four Corners Project” : fire/ice; m ountain /desert; tr ibal/technological; m an /w om an; young/o ld; 2D/3D; low /high ; literate/non-literate; jungle/arctic. The location o f the co-ordinates w as aided by John N ystuen , geographer. Ritual tributes w ere danced by Barr’s w ife , Beth, at tw o sites. Jim Pallas, Detroit artist, also helped in num berless, w ide ranging w ays to bring the w ork to fruition .

SUNSWEEP

In the “ Sunsw eep” project there are three points o f reference to mark the alignm ents o f the sun crossing the borders o f Canada

and the United States. The tw o extrem e points are located in Boun­dary Bluff, Point Roberts, W ashington, and R oosevelt Cam pobello International Park, N ew B runsw ick. Boundary Bluffs is United States property on a p en insu la , but accessib le on ly by land travel through Canada. It is just south o f the 49 th parallel, b etw een

the Strait o f Georgia and Boundary Bay water m asses. The eastern­m ost shared land m ass is located on an island that is an Interna­tional Park and is situated south o f the 45th parallel adjoining Maine and N ew B runsw ick. Each location has a scu lpted granite ston e arch projecting tow ards the o th er side. The arch end fac­ing the o p posin g s ite has a broken surface, as if it is continued across the sky. The w id e flat surface has a draw ing o f an open hand, w ith line tracings d one by laser. As th e silh ou ette mark­ings lead aw ay from the op en hand form , th e lines b ecom e co n ­tour form s, such as o n e w o u ld read on a geographic land map. The outerm ost lin e structure becom es a perfect ring, surround­ing the hand, as i f to lea v e a mark o n the w orld , m uch like the early cave draw in gs h av e done.

Intercepting the conceptual sky mark at m id-point is the Lake- of-the-W oods, Am erican Point Island, M innesota scu lpture. This northern M innesota land m ass is above the 4 9 th parallel, but still boundary con n ected to the forty-eight con tigu ous states. It is the o n ly m id-A m erican land m ass that protrudes into Canada. A m erican Point Island has tw o angled p lates o f granite cut and shaped by Barr in to a sextant form . Each plate aligns w ith the Canada/United States border. Bar r ’s ou tstretched hands, finger­tip to fingertip (palm s up), are the m easurem ent unit for the parallel space b etw een the tw o high poin ts o f th e sculpted plates.

The gesture o f the ou tstretched arm s portrays the transitory vulnerability o f the artist and the fixed vulnerability o f the loca­tion . On the flat facing surfaces, again, are single ou t-stretched hands en circled w ith a radiating line indicating that a hum an be­ing has touched th is spot. One o f the s to n e ’s angled top edges i s aligned to the North Star and the so lstices and eq u in oxes are also docum ented on the surface. This art p iece links the Cana­dian and U.S. border in a partnership. V enturing to approach the mixed boundary lands and gaining cooperation from both govern­m ents reflects t he hum anitarian aspects o f th is art.ARCTIC ARC

The idea for this p iece w as to w ork w ith tw o “ Super P ow ers” and, through the u se o f art, encourage joint participation. The U.S. point is at W ales, A laska; The U.S.S.R. point is at Cape Peak (U elen ), Chukotskiy Peninsula. The land m ass location s are the closest poin ts o f the tw o con tin en ts b elo w the Arctic Circle on the Bering Strait. The title “ Arctic Arc” is in c lu siv e o f the con ­n ection a long w hat w as on ce the Bering Isthm us. It suggests the con n ectin g l i n k o f hum an beings traveling from the Asian land m ass to th e North Am erican con tin en t. This im portant location is an opportunity for Barr to facilitate the Sino-A m erican peace process by using an art im age to help peop le and governm ents recognize our global vulnerability. The art piece, installed at Wales, is a five tim bered im age facing upw ard, w ith a sim ilar im age pro­jecting outw ard tow ards the other land m ass. The design alludes to , in Barr’s w ords, “ an incom plete bridge, a hand extended for

6

friendship, an Eskimo sled." W hile in the area, Barr met Eskimo artist Joe Senungetuk, who was born in Wales. Senungetuk w as commissioned to build a huge flying dove emerging from the lowe r outstretched "h and". T he Barr piece, as seen in p h o t o s , is stark and does not have th e presence of a w elcomin g hand. The up ­ward perpendicular thrusted " hand" r eads more like a "s top" gesture, rather than a " welcome, com e join us" gestute. Realiz­ing that this barr en, large land is difficul t to deco r a t e w ith com- plicated imagery, the form could have been connsidered more analytically to avoid misinterpretation. The flying bird image does read well (although it looks more like an Indian thunderbird than a dove), rising from the two outstretched perpend icular wooden projectiles. This brings me to the other pro blem that the woode n forms imply: missiles. In using this photo documentation to en­sure a joint working situation with the Russians (their concur­rence is not yet secured) there should be a reexam ination as to how the images might inadvertently signify somet h ing other than what was initially intended. In Barr’s lecture about his global village idea he did state that the Russian-side image may change form. I hope the sensitivity of this issue will be thoroughly con­sidered before the final presentation is p repared and submitted to their government app roved officials. If, a s is h oped, a CapePeak artist can be found, t h e exchange of ideas and a rt c o n e p tsmay build a bridge that can' t be disassemb led b y "red" o r " whi t e " tape.

In the gallery is a map prin t of the concept of “ Arctic Arc" The prin t of tw o, draw n, contour lined, shaped h ands reaching for each o ther from the Soviet Union and th e U nited Stat es, ex­presses the simplicity and strength of the coc ep t, a h andshake

across the Bering Straits.

SUNS WEEPAlthough this project was to be included in this exhib it, it

was not, possibly due to the lack of space, o r th e fac t th a t th e art work is not yet totally thought out. However, it w ould have been interesting to experience the drawings in progress as they are processed by the A rtist. The title is a pun o n the sorrow and anguish of w hat has been o ccurr ing at our southern bord e r with Mexico. The reflection on th e sun and the " s on s" a s a fa m ily term are paradoxically set t o a lert the view e r to th e o ngoing tragedy at this border. The title a nd the t w o sites have b e e n chosen. “ Suns W eep” will be located at Boca Chica , Texas o n the east and Border Field State Par k, Californ ia o n t h e west. I t will take delicate diplomacy to bring th is project a long. Few areas want something that is a constant rem inder of the horrors o f a boundary problem. As a memorial, tribute, or challenge t o the communities involved, this art piece will definitely alert those concerned to a new awareness of the situation.

David Barr’s art w ork is constantly involved w ith the intangi­ble, those moments of the su n ’s and ea rth ’s different alignments

o r those connections w ith people that develop into a personal b o n ding of art and friendship. All are attem pts to approac h a n d " e n coura g e o ther people to m ake the cosmic jump in to t hings

tnat s eem t o be unk n o w n ” (Barr’s w ords), and hope t o s h o w people h ow small and fragile we are on this beau tiful planet. Buckminister Fuller, who greatly influenced Barr's throught stated that if w e took the earth and reduced it to th e s iz e o f a fo ur foot sphere, it would be a m ore perfect sphere than any hum am would

b e a ble to make. The problem is how are we to look a t t hi s ge m in the cosmos.

A l l too often we fail to think w hat the wo r ld is m ade of, and the effect on it of our ever y a ction . T he an cients praised a nd w ere in awe of the sun and its tim ing and m ovements. Artifacts help us realize how rational and aw are earlier dwelle rs were of their place and th e ir tim e. W e, as a global village , m ust now b e cautious and recognize that what w e d o can c h a n ge the earth and its m arkings fo re v e r . Th e s u n will rise and set, but will hum ankind be just a accumul a tion of a rtifac ts , done in by our ow n un k in d " h and"? T h e hand of a person is genuine and real. Outstretch ed it is a symbol reach in g in trust: no weapon, no threat.

T h e se a r t p ieces can last a s long as anyone wishes them to, or th ey can be destroyed w ith a quick gesture, or by lack of care .

A rt and hum ankind are frag ile but can be protected and nurtured by a m em ory o f the past and faith in the future.

David Barr is u rging us to embrace his tender vision of a trusting , ca r ing w orld.

Ja m e s R. G ilbert is a Detroit area artist.

I d o n ’t b elieve artists are ever ahead o f their tim e. I th in k that w h at artists are, are a part o f theirtim e, th ey are in their tim e, and that th in gs flow through them that th ey m ay or m ay n o t und erstand them selves. They som etim es look ahead o f their tim e because there’s a m ultitude o f people w h o are behind the tim es. Eventually, w h at artists do is aw ak en them to w h at is in v isib le all around th em , to w h at has a lw a y s b een th ere .

W hat I th in k I try to do as an artist in a ll m yform s, is lo o k at the in v isib le w orld by th e w a y it m an ifests its e lf v isib ly ; g ive it form , g ive it ex-p erience, g ive it in ten sity , sharpen p eo p le’s focu s onit so that th ey have a differen t kind o f exp erienceth a n they o th erw ise w ou ld have had in ex istin g . Asan artist I am n ot in terested in rep ortin g th e w orldas it e x ists , b ut search in g o u t co n n ectio n s, u n d erly ­in g stru ctu res, u n d erly in g u n d erstan d in gs and p ut­t in g them togeth er in a n e w form that I am calling

' Ge o - s t ructu rist Art’ .lt rem ain s for h isto ry to fin d ou t w h eth er that

i s im p ortan t or n o t, or w h eth er it h as a lastin g s ig n ifica n ce , I have no idea.

D avid B arr May 8, 1990

Ed. N o te : As w e go to p re s s D avid B arr ex c ited ly re p o r tsth a t h e a n d h is w ife w ill b e in S iberia o n 7/21 to beg in n e g o tia tio n s fo r R ussian c o n s id e ra tio n o f th e ARCTIC ARC p ro jec t.

Reviews| Peterboro

Urban Side Show-YoWillis Gallery Detroit, MIMarch 21, 1990 — April 7, 1990

The Willis Gallery continues to be the prem iere alternative space in the Detroit Metro Area. After nineteen years the gallery still clings to its grass roots past, and allows the artist total freedom to exhibit and in­stall w ork on the cutting edge of the art world. The Willis Gallery presented a three person exhibit with w ork ranging from excellent to contrived. Mike Slattery, Cranbrook Academy of Art graduate, now resid ing in Chicago, in sta lled th ree sculptures, two of which utilized the floor as well as the ceiling. This ‘Ultra Media’ oriented artist commanded the entire space w ith the use of lights, assorted noises, and smoke. The a rtist’s stream line approach to the assembly of each individual piece charg­ed the Willis Gallery. Neither Confirm Nor Deny was activated by a ceiling m ounted m otion detector, which would set off a pump that would transport an oil-water mix­ture from an illuminated bluish green enclosed glass reservoir to a horizontal glass plate m ounted a few feet below the ceiling. This ever changing glass ‘slide’ was lit from below projecting a blue green image on the ceiling. As the m otion detector was set off, m ore fluid was pum ped to the glass slide forcing o ther liquid to gravity feed via tube to the reservoir on the floor. Techniques o f Displacement (see photo) consisted of a beaker, long coil heater and a lead reser­voir which contained smoke producing fluid. At irregular intervals some fluid was pum ped through the heater coil producing smoke which was fired into the beaker, which would catch the smoke and dissipate the haze into the free air. The beaker look­ed as though it were producing smoke from an unknown source. Slattery’s last piece was a statem ent about the hole in the ozone. This work also included light and sound with an array of o ther materials including growing mold. This artist is a master of fus­ing technology and m aterial, as well as of addressing concerns facing end of the cen­tu ry ’ America.

Christine Burchnall exhibited two seg­ments of a larger piece entitled Ex Voto. The piece on the east gallery wall consisted of eight plaques hung near the ceiling as if they were in a place of worship. All plaques had Roman num erals on them as well as a statement on the condition of Jesus Christ. Neither the numbers nor statements had an order, numerical or sequential. Four of the plaques had vague black and white images, while the rem aining four plaques

were devoid of images. The lack of order and image directly com m ented on an empty faith or the inaccessibility of the hierarchy of religion. The second segment of Ex Voto located on the rear gallery wall consisted of three photos and two large glass sheets with statem ents flanking both sides of the photographs. Both statem ents spoke of losing o ne’s self in the vast population, one declaring the importance of selfhood, and the o ther the fear of selfhood. BurchnalTs good placement and installation added punch to the powerful statem ents.

David Marion occupied the west th ird of the Willis Gallery, displaying well crafted sculptures, drawings and combined pa in t­ings of Science Fiction botany. He showed superb ability in the use of materials in­cluding bronze, plaster, cloth and assorted painted colors, yet the materials were lost in the weak subject matter. The viewer was faced with too-cute isolated characters from B sci-fi movies no one would admit w atch­ing. Caged, Spiral Defense, and N atural Defense, painted bronzes bracketed to the wall, w ere geared for kids in a Halloween toy store or second rate h orro r house. A large piece called Satellite Disc sat heavily on the floor, cousin to the blood sucking m onster in Little Shop o f H orrors . Neither disgusting nor confrontational, the simulated fictional plants/anim als by Marion belong­ed in a cheap Hollywood movie, instead of in a gallery.

R obert C rise, J r . is a Detroit area artist.

| NADINE DELAWRENCE S cu lp tu res from th e Soul

Sherry W ashington Gallery DetroitApril/May 1990

As befitting the title of her recent exhibi­tion at the Sherry W ashington Gallery Nadine DeLawrence’s SCULPTURES FROM THE SOUL reveal a strong sense of spiritual­ity and energy. In this series of wall relief sculptures she draw s upon ancient themes and images, and then couples them with m odern artistic techniques. In her best pieces she has succeeded in forging a link betw een cultures and times. The artist as teacher, in terpreter, m irror — these are roles DeLawrence plays in all aspects of her career.

The raw materials and formats used — sheet aluminum cut into rough, biomorphic shapes which are then welded together with visual dissonance; thick paint dragged across unyielding surfaces; and the odd juxtaposi- tioning of personal word/sym bols w ith un­disciplined color — are not unfam iliar to the interested observer of recent art history, using as an example sculpture and assem­

Mike Slattery, Techniques o f Displace­ment, steel, heating coil, plastic, and fog fluid, 28"x28"x65", 1990

blages created in the last th irty or so years. W hat makes DeLawrence’s w ork different is the richness of the historical and cultural background she draws inspiration from. Her w ork demands contem plative time; spec­tators are asked to involve themselves more than usual. One gets the feeling that the ar­tist has seen herself in each story, and rather than make a more specific statement, alludes to identities through the use of metaphor. This is not art derived from o ther art, but an art that attempts to describe a life, or a way of living.

In viewing this body of w ork it is m an­datory to go further than the limitations of the material. By going past the welded metal and paint we en ter into a narrative. Our minds can roam freely through the stories revealed — we are encouraged to add some elements of our own. The resultant dialogue is full enough so any level of wanderlust will be satisfied.

The golden surface of DAEDALUS m ani­fests its identity in several ways: as a w arrior’s decorative shield, a barrier against harm , or a magnificent reflector to be used to send coded messages to a comrade on some distant peak. The sculpture is versatile enough to allow these references, in addi­tion to the traditional story of Daedalus and his son, Icarus, w ho perished w hen he refused to heed his father’s w arning about flying too close to the sun with waxen

8

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Billy N am e at theBookBeat, 1990

wings. The bipartite nature of the work is a physical reminder of the fragility of the ties that link us to one another. In a cer­tain sense it is saying that communication in any form should not be taken for granted or ignored — whether it is combative or defensive, secretive and private in scope, or familial in nature.

The lushly colored, striated surface of NE1TH shows energies harnessed and then shaped into various symbols. The language of these symbols is not absolute or specific, so interpretation will vary according to the point of view of the spectator. First I saw a flame, then an exclamation point, and finally a carnivorous tropical flower, all in the same general area. I had but to turn my head away, and then back again, to see a different form to contemplate on the front of this shaped metal form. Trying to under­stand this rebus was difficult, until a com­mon denominator began to emerge. All three signs seemed to refer to stimuli of some sort radiating from a central core or force of power, strength, or sensuality. They were, to me, directions to follow, dictating an at­titude or particular emphasis that shouldn’t be overlooked. 1 was transfixed by the mystery of the swirling color around these symbol/signs, not unlike a moth’s fascina­tion with bright lights or fire. The delicate hatch marks made the color very trans­parent and skin-like. The exclamation point ceases to be a mark of mere punctuation, but a more sensual form, possibly relating to areas of female anatomy. A correlation

could be drawn between the carnivorous flower and the notion of vagina dentata .,. but that’s not my particular fantasy (fear?) so I’ll let the stream of consciousness end. Suffice it to say this piece generates a lot of thought.

SOLSTICE could be a commemoration of the passage of time, an acknowledgement of metamorphosis, an observation of the ways societies have paid homage to natural forces governing their lives. The shapes in this fairly small piece jut out into space, spinning around each other in a dizzying frenzy that hark back to the dances per­formed in the spring and autumn by various groups. Those who are “ civilized” might look upon these gyrations as pagan or primitive, using those terms pejoratively. To do so is to misinterpret the societies that performed them and to lose the point of the dance itself — to spin, to whirl, to give up control of one’s self for a brief moment in order to become a part of the greater whole; to lose your equilibrium, to fall, to clutch the earth with all your might while the in­side of your head continues the pace and brings you close to the point of nausea, to sink into the earthly rhythms that bring forth the promise of the spring on the one hand and the abundance of the harvest on the other. By using riotous color, bulbous, fertile forms, and frenetic placement of shapes DeLawrence creates a piece that com­municates the joy of terpsichory, thanksgiv­ing, and ritual.G ild a S n o w d e n is a D etro it a rtis t.

| BILLY NAME Exhibition o f Photographs

BookBeatOak Park, MIApril 28-June 15, 1990

Many books that document the Warhol- era neglect to mention or give credit to the in-house photographer who played a ma­jor role in capturing an insider view of the Factory. His name is Billy Linich/AKA/Billy Name. The reason for the oversight is unclear. Perhaps Andy just forgot to men­tion him or the other co-conspirators. After all, Andy was very busy becoming a star. Regardless, after Billy abruptly left the Fac­tory in 1970 much of his work was left unclaimed. And since he was gone, giving credit where credit was due also went out the door. It was not until Andy’s death, estate hassles, etc., that Billy’s silver trunk was unearthed and reclaimed. The treasure trove of sixties memorabilia provides a crystalline look at the bizarre cast of characters who were the fuel for Warhol’s fast train to glitterville.

The contents of the trunk included photos of such Pop zombies as Ultra-Violet, Edie Sedgwick, Nico, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. Billy should also be acknowl­edged for his participation in the produc­tion of exhibition catalogues, the Andy Warhol Index Book, and many of the “ thermofaxes” of disasters and movie stars.

(c o n tin u e d o n page 13)

9

Reviews| UFO: “The Unfound Object”

A Search for Alien Art Forms

Michigan Gallery DetroitMay, 1990Curated by: Jim Lutomski, Michelle Spivak, and Carl Kamulski

The blond voice called and said 1 had to go review “ U.F.O. “ The Unfound Object” at the Michigan Gallery. “ Wait ’til you see w hat’s in the basem ent!”

Now I understand that alternative spaces m ust utilize w hatever creative parts of the city they can afford (even catacombs and mobile homes), and that danger adds to the bohemian allure. Nevertheless, I am afraid to go down into the Michigan Gallery cellar unless there are lots of people eating hard- boiled eggs and drinking Strohs w ith me. A healthy fear of art — of course I would still go, but I intended to grill the staff for any apparitions of dead saints or big spiders.

Wearing a rosary (for protection as well as style) I was met at the gallery by a sane enough looking man who called himself “Jim ” . Later, referring to my handy Official UFO Exhibition Flyer, I found this was the actual originator of the U.F.O. show con­cept, Jim Lutomski! Quoting the flyer, “ Many have thought that Jim may well be an extraterrestrial and that this show was the first opportunity for him to invite both earth and space artists to display ‘Alien Art Form s’ at a Detroit Gallery.” (I would find someone else to go w ith me into the basem ent.)

Jim handed me a mighty fine collection of xeroxes about John Shepard of Northern, Michigan. Shepard, Jim ’s inspiration, is an infamous, if not insane, artist who has taken over his grandparents’ home with a w ork­ing sculpture that beams jazz, reggae and new age (w hat, no rapp?) music out to esthetically com petent aliens.

His research on Project STRAT (Special Telemetry Research and Tracking) leads us, in some abstract way, to this collection of 40 artists, covering six rooms with roughly 90 works (Jim counted for me) in most of the two billion art mediums known to man.

Now this could frighten some who like their galleries w hite, sparse and sterilized, but not us, right? We like to see some action. The work in this show w asn’t curated’, it was accum ulated’ and, sur­

prise, almost everything presented has something to do with ‘the them e’. (A novelty as far as them e shows go.)

The best examples of the ‘unfound ob­jects’ came from Peter Hackett, Dale Wetig and David Gasowski who individually pieced together glowing plug-in-able sculptures in

th e assem blage tra d itio n resem bling prim itive space ship stuff from old 50’s TV shows.

Because found art assemblage is nothing new, and is here to stay (because old junk is cheap and of better quality than new junk), artists will have a tougher time legitimizing their works. Hackett is most ‘thought-full’ w ith a handing club series made out of guitar handles and good’ sticks. His Pitch Light Speed is a car speedom eter- helm et that doesn’t simply resemble a familiar form but becomes, to our eye, a new machine in itself. Also strong and com­plete is Rude Dolph w ith amber Christmas bulbs, adjustable lamp necks and municipal green Tonka truck body.

Gasowski’s M otor city Space Lam p used an old Galaxie chrome insignia with a yellow globe. His combined a wild welded glass relief using beat bottles and glass that I hope he goes further w ith in the future.

Wetig's U.F 0 Matic and Night Probe fix together a colander and old white and red baked-on painted metal elem ents that look like expensive alien-kitchen appliances, again, but from the 50’s.

Hidden in the chaos of creativity was Terry Fisher’s untitled miniature shadowbox of m ore “ unfound objects’, referring to a w om an’s most personal unfound object. Subtly sexual.

Next to it was Jac P urdon’s sculpture JoA nn dealing with the same female body parts. Lifesize and very flexible (doing a backflip) JoAnn has been stripped down past her clothes, past her bare skin to mere muscle. Unsubtly sexual.

Purdon’s Mad M ountain is less shocking (as if anything could shock us) but pretty fascinating (if anything could fascinate us). It is a giant, textural, black-coated ant- m ountain, swarming with millions of little

Jac Purdon, Joann, bondo and acrylic, 36"x24"x48", 1990

David Gasowski, Motor City Space Lamp , metal, glass, and neon, 20"x20"x48", 1990

3/4 inch plastic metropolitan people. (I asked Jim for an exact count but he said they might make a contest out of it. Guess the num ber of m etro-m en and win a trip to John Shepard’s paren ts’ house.) The foot of the m ountain was bordered with a perfect edge of piled up dead people.

Jim Puntigam ’s Trilogy is bright, thick and developed, w ith simple yet specific im­agery. Michael Lett’s hum or comes through in Jesus a t Teal Lake with John Lennon as Jesus in yellow galoshes, and Woman with Beautifu l Hat, but his paint application is too easy for him. Maybe he should fight a little.

It was getting late and 1 still had n ’t been dow n to the basement. In the main gallery a life draw ing class was finishing up. I stalled, listening to Randa the m odel’s taped rendition of Memories from “ Cats” . Finally, I could stall no more.

I descended the dangerous stairs to a place that brought back memories of the tourist traps along 1-75. The same musty smell. A light beckoned me to a small room off through a door hewn out of the cement. I walked slowly, carefully. My life flashed before my eyes. (I stopped and watched.) Suddenly, there before me was, stay calm, an entire room installation done by... ILLUSTRATORS! Two dimensional minds let (c o n tin u e d on page 13)

10

Tony

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T HE T Y P O C R A F T C O M P A N YA N D L I T H O G R A P H E R SP R I N T E R S

OPENING SUMMER 1990

430 NORTH WOODWARD AVENUE BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN 48009DAVID E. KLEIN (313) 433-3700MICHELLE SPIVAK FAX: 433- 3702

(UFO’s co n t’d. from page 10)

loose in a three dimensional world.Every wall, every space, was covered by

little clips and booklets of comic book creatures, spacecraft models used for videos, alien dolls, and mini-installations with titles like Troxxians Return Home and Metamor­phosis something. (The latest count on titles including the word ‘metamorphosis’ has passed the two million mark.) The place looked like St. Sabina’s Student Science Show gone heavy metal. (Maybe they would let me show the four thousand sketches of wedding gowns 1 drew in high school.)

Shelley M alec V itale is an artist/w riter presently looking for w ork.

(B illy N am e c o n t’d. from page 9)

Also, with silver paint and lots of aluminum foil, the trademark “ silver interior” of the Factory was Billy’s creation.

After leaving the Factory, Billy spent years in California developing his poetic language, BANKA KRANKA. He is currently Associate Director of the Mid-Hudson Arts and Science Center in upstate New York.

So now BiUy Name, here is YOUR fifteen minutes!

S heree R ensel is an artist w orking in Detroit.

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/ * J *

Original art and signed, numbered lithographs by internationally known children’s book illustrators.

El 17 ARFTHSTONEGALLERYThe Fine A rt of/ktimtton

580NORTHWOODWARDAVENUEBIRMINGHAMMI48009313/647-7040

15

In Focus • Detroit Focus In CrisisSince the first Benefit Art Sale in Birmingham (December

1983), Detroit Focus has succeeded in maintaining a balanced budget. However, in the presence of an extrem ely negative nationw ide a ttitude tow ard the arts, w hich is pervasive to ­day, the gallery has had to contend w ith less available public and private funds, fewer sales, and a relatively passive public. It has becom e im perative tha t w e raise S25,000 by October 1st to m eet the com m itm ents of the closing 1989/90 season and begin funding of the 1990/91 program s.

Therefore, the gallery will present:

LIVE FROM DETROIT FOCUS:Artists John Hegarty, Glen Michaels and Robert

Wilbert will pain t for the benefit of Focus from model Mary Musinski at the Gallery on Saturday, July 28 from 7-10 p .m . Richard G uindon, D etroit Free Press, will com m ent on the ir progress.

Tickets are S50.00 each and allow adm ittance to the benefit, refreshm ents, a n d an opportunity to own one of the art works. (A draw ing for the paintings will be held at the end o f the evening. You do not have to be presen t to be a lucky w inner.)

All major area galleries are supporting this ex­citing and unusual event. So join the fun and attend! Mail ticket requests w ith checks to D etroit Focus. A ttendance w ill be lim ited — BE FIRST! P re p a id t ic k e ts a s s u re a d m it ta n c e .

Quarterly

D etroit Focus743 Beaubien Detroit, Michigan 48226

i f u n d r a i s in g P \ Ha-Ha

MembershipA volunteer membership committee headed by artist Lola Son-

nenschein is currently calling to urge that you join, renew, or get another person to join Detroit Focus. The tim e is now! The abil­ity of the gallery to enter its 12th season depends on everyone.

Return fo rm : All dues are to be paid annually and are tax- deductible. Your cancelled check is your receipt.

Membership categories:Dues S 15 Associate (non-voting, S 50 Contributor

students, seniors) S 100 PatronS 25 Individual S 500 SponsorS 35 Family S 1 ,000 Benefactor

Please enroll me as a member in Detroit Focus in the category

o f ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My check in the amount of S______________is enclosed. (Makepayable to Detroit Focus)

City Zip

Pbone(s)

Are you an artist? Renew al.

Mail to: D etroit Focus Gallery743 Beaubien, D etroit, MI 48226 • 313-962-9025

Contributions to Detroit Focus are tax-deductible.

N o n -p ro fit Org. Bulk Rate U.S. Postage Paid

D etro it, Mich. P erm it N o. 2960

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